My recent hobby has been listening to audio books. I recently came across a good business book - Good to Great companies by Jim Collins. In this book, Jim Collins introduces a new concept called the hedgehog concept and mentions that the hedgehog concept is the key that differentiates between good companies and great companies. The good thing is that the same concept can also be applied to our personal lives. Once you understand this concept, you will realize that the same concept differentiates the good from the great people in our history. So are you ready to know more about this hedgehog concept?
Before explaining the hedgehog concept,
I'd like to ask you a question...
Are you GOOD at something?...
Or
Are you GREAT at something?...
What's the difference?
Well...
"GOOD IS THE ENEMY OF GREAT"
What does this mean?
Well...
What we are saying here is that...
"You don't want to be "Good" at anything?"
You want to be GREAT at something!
A lot of people who don't have success are "Good" at a lot of different things.
You don't want to be mediocre...
You want to be the best and settling to be just "good" is simply not good enough! You want to be the best, and most importantly be the best at just one thing that ignites your passion.
Today I am going to share with you the secret of how you can become great too. Surprisingly, this secret is revealed in a simple story. This is a story of the fox and the hedgehog.
How many people here know what a hedgehog is? Hedgehog is a small animal that has spines all over its body. Hedgehogs have an ability to roll into a tight ball, causing all of the spines to point outwards.
With this introduction about hedgehogs, let me get back to the story:
There is a hedgehog that is on its way. A fox looks at the hedgehog and tries to attack it with the intent of eating it. But do you know what hedgehog does. It simply rolls up into a ball, exposing a tough exterior of protective spines. As we know foxes are cunning, so the fox tries its best to devise new and clever ways to outthink its prey. But every time the fox tries to attack the hedgehog, the lowly hedgehog simply does one thing, does it well, and does it every time. When attacked, the hedgehog simply rolls up into a ball, exposing a tough exterior of protective spines. The fox eventually gives up, and goes in search of less-armored prey.
What does this simple story tells us. This simple story tells us that the fox knows a little about many things, but the hedgehog knows only one big thing very well. The fox is complex; the hedgehog simple. And the hedgehog wins.
If you look at the history, you will notice the most of the successful people are like hedgehogs. Let us take the example of one of the greatest cricketers of all times - Sachin Tendulkar. His hedgehog concept is the balance and the poise that he uses so well while batting on any kind of wicket and facing any bowler. Did you know that Sachin started his career as a fast bowler but after listening to his coaches, he decided to concentrate only on batting? Do you think he would have been so successful had he concentrated on both bowling and batting?
So what does it take to find your hedgehog concept? It requires deep introspection to understand your passions and what you can be best at. It may not be something you are currently working on. Think for a moment and try to find the answer to these questions: Are you passionate about your current job? Can you be the best at it? If the answer to any of these questions is No, you may not be able to find your hedgehog concept in your current job and may have to find alternatives to attain success and greatness. Don't worry if you are not able to find your hedgehog concept alone. You can always take the help of a mentor who has gone through that path and is in a better position to guide your way. No matter what situation you are in, you can find your hedgehog concept. Let me tell you another story to further emphasize my point.
This is the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.
"Sensei," the boy finally said, "shouldn't I be learning more moves?"
"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament.
Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.
"No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.
"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"
"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."
The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
With this, I would like to conclude that no matter what your situation is, you can find your hedgehog concept. Once you have found your hedgehog concept, your path would be clear and you would not be distracted by little things along the way. You would be truly in a position to achieve greatness at that point.
